With Plenary Power Comes Plenary Responsability: Puerto Rico’s Economic and Fiscal Crisis and the United States

The ex-governor of Puerto Rico, Acevedo Vilá, summarizes the political, constitutional and economic relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States, as well as the historical background of the different provisions in Puerto Rico’s Constitution regarding its budget and public debt. In light of this background, he finds that Puerto Rico and the United States share the responsibility for the current fiscal crisis. He concludes that Puerto Rico’s political relationship with the United States is the ultimate cause of said crisis and thus, the United States has a legal and moral responsibility to help solve it. Furthermore, he proposes various policy recommendations to help achieve sustained economic development for Puerto Rico.